Hawkes’ Boy Can Keep on Winning in BTC Cup 2015

Co-trainer Michael Hawkes said there was no reason the stable’s emerging sprint star Our Boy Malachi cannot keep on winning and score his maiden Group 1 when he debuts in elite level company in Saturday’s 2015 BTC Cup in Brisbane.

The Sydney-based Top Echelon gelding is now prepared by Michael, Wayne & John Hawkes and to date has won 17 of his 19 career starts.

He was last seen adding to that ultra-consistent record at Randwick on April 18 when winning the Group 3 Hall Mark Stakes (1200m) first-up with Tommy Berry in the saddle, beating home the up-and-coming Craftiness by a length.

Lightly-race for his age, the horse dubbed the ‘Rockhampton Rocket’ kicked off his career in Queensland with John O’Sing and Peter Fleming where he raced exclusively until November last year.

Since joining Team Hawkes he is undefeated with four straight Sydney wins on the trot, three in black-type company, to take his winning streak to six on the trot.

Now he goes up in class again looking to continue the good form with a win for the punters in Saturday’s $500,000 Group 1 BTC Cup (1200m) at Doomben Racecourse on Doomben Cup Day.

He is current co-favourite in the pre-field BTC Cup odds at Ladbrokes.com.au paying $7 along with Ciaron Maher’s last start Group 2 Victory Stakes winning mare Srikandi who looked good in a strong piece of work at the track on Tuesday morning.

While it is a notable class rise for Our Boy Malachi, Hawkes is confident the horse can make an immediate impact in Group 1 company.

“Why can’t he keep winning?” Hawkes told News Corp.

“He has done everything right and the biggest thing is the horse is a winner.

“It’s been a phenomenal story and if we could win a Group 1 with him that would be the icing on the cake.”

As a father-and-son team, the Hawkes are yet to win the BTC Cup.

Hall of Famer John Hawkes however boasts two solo wins in the classic having prepared Accomplice (1997) and Lord Essex (2002) for their respective wins.

Our Boy Malachi will also be out to become the first six-year-old BTC Cup winner since the Danny Boughoure-trained Falvelon (2003).

Along with Our Boy Malachi and Srikandi, who if successful will join Black Caviar (2011) and Sea Siren (2012) as the recent female BTC Cup winners, the next best in betting for Saturday’s clash is Trust In A Gust ($10).

Darren Weir’s Keep The Faith stallion is a dual Group 1 winner from last spring at Caulfield, the four-year-old completing the Sir Rupert Clarke – Toorak Handicap double.

He ran first-up at the same Melbourne track on April 18 when the beaten odds-on favourite in the VOBIS Gold Sprint (1200m), a run he’ll be out to atone for on Saturday over a distance he’s got a great record at (5-2-2-1) in his Doomben debut.

To get behind your early BTC Cup favourites before the markets firm post-field release on Wednesday morning, head over to our preferred online betting agency Ladbrokes.com.au who are matching the first deposits of new players up to $250 this winter!